Other conditions Board decisions

The Board determined that the veteran's disability compensation benefits should be reduced to half the rate due to his incarceration for a felony conviction, and denied his appeal for restoration of his 10% rating while incarcerated.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and adjudication, including obtaining medical records and considering the new evidence submitted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right hip disability is not related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notice provided in the previous denial of the claim, and further development is needed before a decision can be made.

The veteran's claims for educational assistance benefits are denied as he did not meet the legal requirements for retroactive benefits or extension of the delimiting period.

The veteran's enrollment period from August 9, 2004 to September 3, 2004 at America's Driving Academy was not approved by the State Approving Agency as a VA-approved institution. Therefore, payment for this enrollment period is denied.

The veteran's claim for VA disability compensation due to an endoscopic procedure performed by VA in March 4, 2004 is being remanded for additional development.

The case is being remanded for the AOJ to obtain complete records of the veteran's hospitalization at Oak Valley Hospital and determine if he was stable for transfer to a VA facility before his death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected cold injuries to his hands and feet caused or aggravated his cause of death, leading to a grant of service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has granted an initial 10 percent rating for complete loss of sense of taste, the maximum schedular rating available under VA regulations.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and his claims for service connection for skin disorders to include an epidermal cyst of the neck and dermatophytosis of the groin and back, as well as for a compensable evaluation for fungus of the feet and pseudofolliculitis barbae, have been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including providing VCAA notice to inform the veteran of what constitutes new and material evidence under the prior legal standard.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings and SMC for his right foot disability was granted, with the effective date being from August 3, 2005.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a biopsy and denied entitlement to a compensable evaluation for his inability to wear a partial bridge.

The Board has determined that the evidence supports the veteran's claim for service connection for endometriosis and resulting hysterectomy, finding continuity of symptomatology during and after service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for residuals of lymphadenopathy of the mediastinum (calcified density of the right lower lobe), spleen calcifications, and liver calcifications. The disabilities are rated as 10 percent disabling for lymphadenopathy, noncompensable for spleen calcifications, and noncompensable for liver calcifications.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left foot disorder, characterized as pes cavus or club foot deformity, did not preexist service and was aggravated by military service. However, the condition is considered congenital in nature and no increase in severity during service is shown.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking his current arthritic disabilities to military service.

The Board finds that the veteran's lung and breathing disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred due to herbicide exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's claim for an initial increased evaluation for his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the submission of new VA medical records and a need for further examination. The case will be reviewed again after these issues are addressed.